Exhibit Dates: April 21, 2025—April 2026
Exhibit Location: MLK Library, Floor 4
As part of its growing commitment to displaying art in libraries across the district, DC Public Library is proud to partner with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) to showcase new works from CAH’s Art Bank Collection in the MLK Library Conference Center on an annual rotating basis.
The Art Bank Collection began in 1986 through the Support for Art in Public Places Amendments Act. An ever-growing reflection of local creative production in the district, this special collection is loaned to District agencies and council offices to beautify public spaces and connect employees with artists from the communities they serve. With a collection of more than 3,000 works that span decades, materials, and themes, more than 90% of the works are on view at any given time.
Artists apply to have their work purchased by the DC government through CAH’s annual competitive grant process. The selected artists represent a wide range of backgrounds and career stages, from emerging talent to D.C. icons known worldwide, such as Sam Gilliam and Alma Thomas. Whether their works were acquired early in their careers or after years of living and working in the region, each piece helps tell the story of our city.
The ten works on display here represent artists from all eight wards of the District, as well as Maryland and Virginia.
To explore the Art Bank Collection online, visit www.dcarts.emuseum.com.
To access information on all art bank works currently on display at the MLK library, visit this link.
Did you know? Applications for the Art Bank are accepted on an annual basis in the spring. Qualified artists and District nonprofit art galleries or organizations may apply to become part of the permanent collection through an Art Bank Program Grant. To learn more about the Art Bank application process, visit the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities website
Above, from left: Khin, Daze | Neon Isolation, 2024; Alanna Fields, Close Your Eyes and Remember, 2021; Cheryl Edwards, Presence, 2025
Photos from the Exhibit
Related Events
Exhibition Reception
Thursday, May 7 | 6-8 p.m. | MLK Library
Join the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) and DC Public Library (DCPL) for a celebration of newly acquired works into CAH's Art Bank Collection, the DC government's permanent collection of artwork by Metropolitan artists.